Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Benin
Benin: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income was 10.5% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Benin, 2003–2021
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ. Measured in %.
Analysis
Benin recorded 10.5% for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.4% on the previous year and down 10.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Benin peaked at 20.1% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 10.5%, in 2021.
That places Benin 78th out of 123 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Benin, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 10.9% | — |
| 2011 | 11.7% | +7.3% |
| 2015 | 20.1% | +71.8% |
| 2018 | 11.1% | -44.8% |
| 2021 | 10.5% | -5.4% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 10.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10.8%, 97% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Benin's 10.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 11.1%, 95% of the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10.9% | 10.9% | 10.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 14.3% | 11.1% | 20.1% | 3 |
| 2020s | 10.5% | 10.5% | 10.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Benin
- 75 Mauritania 10.6% compare
- 75 Philippines 10.6% compare
- 75 Slovakia 10.6% compare
- 78 Burkina Faso 10.5% compare
- 80 Malta 10.4% compare
- 81 Côte d'Ivoire 10.1% compare
More poverty & inequality data for Benin
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 4.56 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 1,356 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 20.35 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 11.63 (2013)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 11.6% (2013)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2013)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Benin?
- Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Benin was 10.5% in 2021, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
- What is the highest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 20.1% in 2015.
- What is the lowest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.5% in 2021.
- How does Benin rank for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income?
- Benin ranks 78th out of 123 countries with data for 2021.
- Is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The percentage of people in the population who live in households whose per capita income or consumption is below half of the median income or consumption per capita. The median is measured at 2021 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) using the Poverty and Inequality Platform (http://www.pip.worldbank.org). For some countries, medians are not reported due to grouped and/or confidential data. The reference year is the year in which the underlying household survey data was collected. In cases for which the data collection period bridged two calendar years, the first year in which data were collected is reported.